Lionel Messi left Mumbai fans spellbound with a packed, hour-long appearance at the iconic Wankhede Stadium on Sunday as part of his GOAT India Tour 2025, interacting with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, current and former footballers, film stars, celebrities and politicians.
The Argentine World Cup winner arrived at the Wankhede at around 5.30 pm and departed exactly an hour later, leaving the crowd satisfied—unlike his brief 20-odd-minute appearance in Kolkata that had triggered fan unrest and prompted the West Bengal government to initiate a judicial inquiry.
Mumbai marked the third stop on Messi’s India tour, after a short visit to Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium and a slightly longer stay at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal. At the Wankhede, Messi spent the longest time engaging with fans.
One of the highlights of the evening was Messi’s interaction with Tendulkar, facilitated by a translator. Tendulkar presented Messi with a signed India jersey and gestured to the No 10 on the back, a number both icons share. Addressing the gathering first in Marathi and then in English, Tendulkar described the meeting as one of the most memorable moments of his time at the Wankhede.
In an iconic scene, the crowd chanted Messi’s name alongside Tendulkar and Luis Suarez. Fans also tried to send a message to FC Barcelona, chanting ‘Barca, Barca’. Suarez and Rodrigo are accompanying Messi on the GOAT India Tour 2025.
During the event, Chief Minister Fadnavis officially launched Project Maha-deva, a grassroots football initiative mentored and fronted by Bollywood actor Tiger Shroff. The project aims to provide transformative support to school-going boys and girls from Maharashtra and help them pursue their football aspirations. The state government has selected 16 players in the initial intake.
Messi, who arrived about 30 minutes later than scheduled, appeared relaxed and eager to interact, even directing security and officials to areas he wished to visit. Prior to reaching the Wankhede, he had attended a padel promotion event at the nearby Cricket Club of India, where he reportedly played with JSW Sports’ Parth Jindal.
He entered the stadium midway through a Celebrity Football Match between India XI and Mitra XI, featuring Bengaluru FC players Sunil Chettri, Rahul Bheke, Jayesh Rana and Ashutosh Mehta, along with India women’s star Bala Devi. Messi greeted both teams, posed for photographs, and then took a lap of the stadium, kicking footballs into the stands as souvenirs for fans. Suarez and Rodrigo joined him for the lap.
Messi also spent time with schoolchildren from the Maha-deva project, kicking the ball with them and interacting briefly. On the makeshift stage, he was welcomed by the Chief Minister and presented a GOAT Tour jersey. He later posed for photographs with Bollywood stars Tiger Shroff, Ajay Devgn and Dino Morea.
After concluding his interaction with Tendulkar, Messi departed the stadium to attend further engagements in the city, including a celebrity fashion show where he is expected to auction signed jerseys and memorabilia. He is scheduled to leave for Delhi on Monday morning.
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